Wisdome of an Angry Cripple

About Me

Hi my name is Mitch Ball, welcome to my world! I'm a typical 24-year-old guy with an atypical body. No it's not covered in colorful tattoo's or piercings in bizarre places. The reason it's atypical is I was born with a disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(DMD). It's a genetic disease I was born with and there is no cure. In a nutshell DMD causes all the muscles in the body to waste away and weaken over time. The life expectancy for someone with DMD is greatly reduced and you rarely live much past 30. This is usually due to heart failure. I was diagnosed at the age of four, started using a manual wheelchair at 8, graduated to a power wheelchair at age 10, now at 24 I am on a ventilator full time since my muscles that control my breathing are very weak. I can barely move any of my body... I have just enough strength in my hands to drive my wheelchair and use a computer mouse. In spite of all the challenges I face day to day I live each day to the fullest and look forward to the future. It isn't always easy but having a positive outlook is something I strive for everyday. Thanks for reading my blog I hope it opens your eyes to what living life or disability is like.